The Crown Jewel in my Camino - Reading at the Pilgrim Mass

[ELHS220]

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

When it happened to me, ELH, I felt so blessed.
I'm an elder in the Anglican church in England, but to be asked as I walked into the Pilgrim Mass was .... something wonderful.
It completed my camino perfectly!
Blessings, my camino friend, from England .....

 

[ELHS220]

When it happened to me, ELH, I felt so blessed.
I'm an elder in the Anglican church in England, but to be asked as I walked into the Pilgrim Mass was .... something wonderful.
It completed my camino perfectly!
Blessings, my camino friend, from England .....

Actually, when I did the Camino two years ago, I started asking to read in the various stops along the way. I read 16 times and was beyond thrilled. My goal this time was to beat that number, and beat it I did. I read 47 times, with all but one being recorded.

 

[Waka]

When it happened to me, ELH, I felt so blessed.
I'm an elder in the Anglican church in England, but to be asked as I walked into the Pilgrim Mass was .... something wonderful.
It completed my camino perfectly!
Blessings, my camino friend, from England .....

Congratulations, what an honour.

 

[nycwalking]

On camino number two in 2002, I was asked to say Our Father in Granon, and Ponferrada, and asked to read in Triacastela.
Congrats to you.

 

[mspath]

Once in Rabanal was I asked to assist at Vespers; imagine my surprise 17/11/2011 when entering that small Romanesque sanctuary to be greeted by cozy heat as well as the Abbot of the adjacent monastery who smiled as he directly asked "Do you speak English?". When I nodded he then handed me a selection on St Elisabeth and love to read aloud during the service. After briefly scanning the passage,
I went "live" in front of the assembled other pilgrims and parish members. After the service we all filed out into the frosty night.

...Next morning cold fog swirled white and dense throughout the village. The local bread delivery truck was parked where the camino continues westward. Dressed in "civies" the Abbot was buying two huge loaves for his monastery. As we nodded to each other I thanked him for the past evening's service; he wished me a spiritual Buen Camino and then disappeared into the white. After these brief encounters each of us would follow his own path alone into the fog blanketed unknown.

 

[Devon Mike]

In O'Cebreiro back in 2015, pilgrims were asked to read in several languages and I got to do the English reading. A wonderfully spiritual experience.

 

[Diane Borden]

I hope I get asked to read! I'll for sure volunteer! So awesome!!!

 

[Saint Mike II]

Actually, when I did the Camino two years ago, I started asking to read in the various stops along the way. I read 16 times and was beyond thrilled. My goal this time was to beat that number, and beat it I did. I read 47 times, with all but one being recorded.

Hola ELH - congratulations on this honour/achievement. May I ask did you read in English/Spanish or your native tongue (if different). Also did you volunteer or where you selected?? Thanks in advance. Cheers

 

[ELHS220]

I read in Spanish (retired Spanish teacher). As mentioned above I went to the churches along the way, showed up early for Mass and asked to read. In Santiago I talked to a nun in the sacristy earlier in the day and, as luck would have it, no one was scheduled so I got the ok.

 

[oursonpolaire]

Once in Rabanal was I asked to assist at Vespers; imagine my surprise 17/11/2011 when entering that small Romanesque sanctuary to be greeted by cozy heat as well as the Abbot of the adjacent monastery who smiled as he directly asked "Do you speak English?". When I nodded he then handed me a selection on St Elisabeth and love to read aloud during the service. After briefly scanning the passage,
I went "live" in front of the assembled other pilgrims and parish members. After the service we all filed out into the frosty night.

...Next morning cold fog swirled white and dense throughout the village. The local bread delivery truck was parked where the camino continues westward. Dressed in "civies" the Abbot was buying two huge loaves for his monastery. As we nodded to each other I thanked him for the past evening's service; he wished me a spiritual Buen Camino and then disappeared into the white. After these brief encounters each of us would follow his own path alone into the fog blanketed unknown.

I, too, was asked to read at Rabanal. When the monk found out I was Canadian, he immediately handed me a French text. Owing to the large Québec pilgrim population, the Camino is the one place where Canadian anglophones are the minority. As I worked in French much of the time (at the time, I was a federal public servant), with focus I could handle the task, and did so well enough that the only comment from two Québec pilgrims was that they thought I was Belgian.

There is something quite special about reading in a place which had been used for worship for hundreds of years.